Draeyer Academy
Drae Skyland
Northeastern Space
Alec's pen flew over the paper's smooth surface. However, he crumpled it and tossed it in the garbage. He groaned and rubbed his head. That was the fifth paper. He needed to calm down and concentrate and he did so by taking deep breathes. With his hands slamming on the table, he sighed. He resumed writing.
Ink flowed from the pen with each stroke, leaving behind words written in neat cursive. His brows remained furrowed as he wrote the words coming from his mind. Once he finished the last sentence, he dropped his hand and read over his work. He paused when he heard faint knocks on his door before telling the person to come in. It swung open, just in time for him to turn and see who it was. A smile flew to his face when he saw her.
"Good evening, Solana."
The blonde stood behind his half-open door, staring at him with a small smile on her face. "Good evening to you too. I was wondering if you were all right. I heard you groaning and slamming your hands on the table."
"I'm fine," he said. He motioned for her to come in, and she did so with reluctance. His head tilted to the right, finding her hesitation odd. Usually, she would barge in without permission, startling him out of his bed or seat in the process. "I was just making my Literature homework. It's my first time to write a poem, and I'm not very good."
Solana stepped closer and leaned over his shoulder. "Can I read it?"
He nodded and handed her his homework. Once she took it in her hand, he suddenly had a rush of embarrassment. With his face turning red, he pressed his head on the table. She read aloud.
"Hear the calling of your Drae
Lock eyes and share your fate
Loyal and forever by your side
Always there as you take your strides
Either to walk the path of light
Or tread on the trail as dark as night
Whisper and caress to the open air
No song from them, nature despairs
The loss shall tip the balanced scales
And bring the fall of the heaven realm."
There was a long silence which followed. He groaned quietly. A hand landed on his shoulder and his head lifted from the wood. Her chuckles made his head turn and glare at her with his icy eyes. His face though, still had a faint red hue.
"The last time I saw you that flushed was when my mother called you handsome―which by the way is true," Solana said as she placed the paper on the table. He mumbled a "Don't remind me" under his breath, which only turned her chuckles in to a full blown laugh. She calmed at once when she saw the glower he sent her way.
"It's good, Lec. Nothing to be embarrassed about it," she said. "Is this the one where Professor Faun asked to make a poem about latest experiences?"
He nodded up at her as he tucked his homework in his Literature book. "It's about when I became a Draeyer and witnessed my first Preservene. I have no title for it though."
She nodded. The following silence could only be described as awkward. He released another breath before twisting in his wooden chair to face her.
"How are you?"
She clasped her hands as she threw her gaze to the floor, effectively avoiding his questioning eyes. "I'm...good. Thank you for the soup you and Areisha made for me a few days ago. It actually surprised me that the both of you did it."
Alec chuckled and stood from his seat. He reached out and patted her head. "I'm glad you liked it. To be honest, I think the only time Roselintine and I would get along is whenever the subject would be about you."
Alec's eyes widened slightly when she looked up at him. Her grey orbs glistened with tears threatening to fall down her cheeks. "I'm...really sorry. I broke my promise. It just worsened your relationship with each other."
He sighed and he scratched the scar near his right eyebrow. Stepping closer, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's all right, Solana. I'm sure Roselintine already told you this but, I'll just say it. We became physical over the matter. I could've stopped it from happening, but I allowed my temper to take over and so did she. You can't blame yourself for everything that happened."
She stared at him for a few moments. A smile formed on Alec's lips when she wiped her unshed tears away with the back of her hand. She nodded slowly at him.
"Now, let's just move on from that, shall we?" he said. "As surprising as it sounds, Roselintine and I are over that matter. We're currently busy...bickering about other things.
"Being chained to her is annoying―for the lack of better word," he mumbled the last part.
Her lips cracked in a grin. He felt the sting first before he even saw her hand slap his right arm. It stung so much he jumped back and rubbed soothing circles over the pain. Solana's back, he thought with a silent smile.
"I'll tell her that," she said. He shook his head. Before he could stop himself, he wrapped an arm around her neck and trapped her in a headlock. His other hand came up and ruffled her head non-stop until her hair looked worse than a bird's nest.
Solana's yells and laughter filled his room. His napping Draelings awoke and they sat on the foot of his bed. Their amber eyes watched them both with a gleam, he deemed, as one of joy.
"Lec, stop it!" Solana struggled from his hold, and her laughter only grew louder at her failed attempts to get away. When he released her, Solana faced him with a big beam on her face. "Knox is great," she said and outstretched her hand, "but I think it would be even better if I have another brother."
Alec looked down at her. He felt his smile growing bigger. He dared say it would become so big his face might split in half. "I always wanted a sister."
He reached out. The moment he made contact with her hand, Solana jumped and hugged him the same way she did on their first meeting. He shook his head as he returned her embrace.
She surprised him when she pushed him arms-length away from her. To be more accurate though, she was the one who moved back from her own force because Alec stood there like a wall.
He tilted his head to the side and watched as she closed her eyes. Her head would tip to one side to another. It was as if she was listening to something. With quiet footsteps, she headed for his window. The open windowpanes allowed the cool breeze to enter his room. Her fingers grasped a handful of the billowing curtains before she took a peek at something outside.
She turned back to him with wide eyes. She sprung and tackled him to the floor. "Down!" she yelled in the process. His mind registered what she meant when an arrow pierced through his curtains and flew across the room. When it stuck to the wall, another one followed.
He locked his arms around Solana and he rolled on the blue-carpeted floor. He was just in time before a third arrow landed on where they lied moments ago. They took cover behind his bed just as more arrows whooshed in to his room. When the onslaught stopped after a few moments, he looked. His eyes quickly counted 16 arrows. And with the way they shined under the lamp-crimas, he knew they were completely made of metal.
"I can hear their footsteps. Heavy. All men," Solana said as she closed her eyes. Her hand went to her bracelet and blood red covered her formerly-pink stone. She clutched her head and Alec saw her face contort in a bit of pain. She inhaled before she closed her eyes once more with the look of pain leaving her face. Alec's ears caught her murmurings. "Five...seven...ten...," she said. "There's...twelve of them."
"Drae's shit," Alec said. He went all fours and crawled the distance to his bedside drawer. He never left the little safety the bed provided. "Stay put," he told Solana who nodded in return.
He pulled open the drawer and took out the black commu-crima Gael gave him. He never thought he would actually use it in a situation like this. Nevertheless, he was thankful for Gael's over protectiveness―for the moment. He thought of his guardian's face before saying his name. The crima glowed and he swiped his thumb over it.
"Come on Gael, pick up," he said. When he didn't answer, he tried again. On the second try, the man finally received his call.
"Alec is there―" he cut him off.
"Sixteen arrows almost killed me and Solana," he hissed. "There are twelve of them outside the dorm! I need your help."
He paused from talking when he felt a tug on the sleeve of his tunic. Looking up at Solana, he saw the fear swirling in her grey eyes. "Seven are making their way inside."
Alec froze before his mind decided to listen to the words coming from Gael through the commu-crima.
"We're on our way," he said. "Stay where you are!"
"There are seven inside the building."
There was pause before he heard the thumping of running feet on the grass from the other side. He then heard Gael yelling out orders, probably to the Academy's guards.
All of a sudden, the lamp-crimas flickered on and off, engulfing them in darkness and then with light for brief seconds. He felt Solana cling to his arm. On the other hand, Gael's voice from the device kept getting cut off. Alec could barely understand the words he was saying.
"...inside...gather...dorm mates," were the words he could make out. For a moment, the lights remained on for much longer and the crima was working properly. He heard Gael say, "Don't leave the dorm."
At that moment, the lamp-crimas lost their light. Darkness embraced him and Solana at once. He looked down at his hand and saw the device had lost its faint light as well. Gael's voice could no longer be heard from the other end. His attention went to the window when beams entered his room. Through the holes on the tattered curtains, he saw the clouds drifting away from the twin moons.
"What's going on?" Solana whispered from beside him.
He had an idea of what was happening. However, he didn't answer. "We need to find the others," he said.